The Craft of Choosing Coffee Table Books

Coffee tables come in all shapes and sizes: round, square, glass or wooden. They’re the heart of our living rooms, the center for chit-chat, and most reliable foot rest we know.

Once you have yours picked out, now comes the fun part: what to put on it? And no, I don’t mean cups that leave marks –there are coasters for that so stop complaining and think of the decorating instead. I’m talking about coffee table books! The conversation starters, the reflection of your interests and personality. To help you choose the best, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

Covet the cover: we know better than to judge books by their covers, but for the purposes of decorating, you want something that is close to art. Look for those with large, captivating photographs and simple, catchy titles.

What gets you going?: is it fashion that peaks your interests? Then these Chanel or Harper’s Bazaar books are suitable. Have a love for art and architecture? Go for an anthology of Frank Lloyd Wright’s works. Like photography, cars? The point is to stick to your personal interests and the books that reflect them. That way, you’ll enjoy leafing through them and if intrigued guests ask questions, you’ll be prepared and happy to answer them!

Less is more: when it comes to text, keep it to a minimum. Reading is for the bed, bath, and beyond but just not at the coffee table. The books you keep here should tell a story, talk about a topic, or person all through photographs and small captions.

And don’t forget! Magazines, whether a stack of vintage ones or the most recent issues, make a great addition too. Not to mention, they’re considerably cheaper.